How do silicone doll shops operate?
The operational model of silicone doll shops revolves around three core principles: “compliant operations, privacy protection, and customized services.” Influenced by the industry’s unique characteristics (involving privacy, ethics, and product safety), it features distinct designs in areas such as supply chain, sales processes, and customer service. The operational logic can be broken down into five key modules: supply chain management, sales models, privacy safeguards, after-sales systems, and compliance risk control. While specific operations may vary slightly among different types of shops, the overall framework remains consistent
一. Clarify Store Type and Compliance Foundation
Silicone dolls fall under the category of “adult products” or “dolls,” and their sale must first comply with legal and regulatory requirements, which is the primary prerequisite for store operation
Qualification Compliance:
A complete business license is required, with the business scope explicitly including “adult product sales” and “toys sales.” Offline stores must comply with local “Adult Product Business Premises Management Regulations,” such as maintaining a certain distance from schools and residential areas, avoiding the display of vulgar content on storefronts. Online stores must complete the “Special Category Filing” on e-commerce platforms and are prohibited from posting vulgar or non-compliant promotional content.
Product Compliance:
The supply chain must screen products that comply with national safety standards, ensuring core materials pass compliance testing to avoid using substandard materials that pose health risks to customers. Production or sale of products involving “lowbrow” or “illegal customization” is prohibited.
二. Supply Chain Management —— Full-Chain Control from Production to Warehousing
The product characteristics of silicone dolls necessitate a supply chain that is “refined and highly confidential,” primarily divided into three components: upstream production collaboration, midstream warehousing management, and downstream logistics distribution.
Upstream: Establish cooperation with manufacturers to support customized requirements
Most stores do not produce their own products but collaborate with qualified silicone doll factories, operating under two cooperation models: “standardized products” and “customized products.”
Standardized Products: Factory-prepared conventional styles are sold as “ready-to-stock” items after bulk procurement by stores. The advantages include fast delivery and low costs, making them suitable for entry-level customers;
Customized Products: Based on customer requirements, the store synchronizes the needs with the factory, which then proceeds with independent mold production and manufacturing. The advantages include meeting personalized demands and offering high premium margins, but it also imposes stringent process requirements on the factory.
Quality Control: The store conducts “physical inspections” on factory samples. Some high-end stores may dispatch dedicated personnel to oversee production in the factory to prevent “mismatched goods.”.
Midstream: Warehouse Management — Privacy Protection and Damage Prevention
Storage Environment: The area must be dry, well-ventilated, and strictly zoned. All products should be packaged in “unmarked black sealed bags” or “neutral cartons” with no “silicone doll” related markings on the exterior to prevent leakage of product information by warehouse personnel or third parties;
Inventory Management: Real-time inventory synchronization via the ERP system to prevent “overbooking”; for standardized products with slow sales, material conditions are regularly inspected to ensure outgoing products meet quality standards.
Downstream: Logistics Distribution —— Full Process Confidentiality, Reducing Customer Concerns
Logistics Selection: Prioritize collaboration with logistics companies that support “Private Delivery,” where waybills only indicate neutral names such as “Household Goods” or “Home Accessories,” without displaying any product information beyond the recipient’s details;
Packaging Reinforcement: Customized products, due to their large size, are packed in reinforced cartons with foam cushioning layers to prevent damage during transportation. Some stores offer “door-to-door delivery + unpacking assistance” services, but these are only performed in customers’ private premises to avoid exposing the products in public areas;
Special Note: If there are logistics restrictions in the customer’s region, the store will communicate with the customer in advance to confirm the feasibility of shipping before placing the order, thereby avoiding subsequent disputes.
三. Sales Model —— Online as the Main, Offline as the Auxiliary, Balancing Privacy and Experience
The “privacy attributes” of silicone dolls determine that online sales are the mainstream, while offline stores primarily focus on “experience + display.” Both models require enhanced communication with customers, emphasizing “privacy delivery,” “customization accuracy,” and “after-sales support” to alleviate concerns about privacy leaks. Additionally, highlighting “authentic physical experience,” “material safety,” and “customization detail confirmation” helps build trust.
四.Customer Service — Full Lifecycle Privacy Protection from Pre-Sales Consultation to After-Sales
Maintenance
Silicone dolls have high unit prices and long customer decision-making cycles, so “service experience” directly impacts repurchase rates and word-of-mouth reputation. Key service components include:
Pre-sales Consultation: One-on-One Private Communication
Customer service representatives must undergo professional training to familiarize themselves with product specifications, customization processes, and compliance boundaries. Communication primarily occurs through “online text or customer service systems,” avoiding unsolicited calls to clients. If a customer inquires about “sensitive issues,” the representative will guide them toward “compliant responses” to prevent violations. For customized orders, a “3D rendering confirmation” is provided, and production only begins after client approval to avoid future disputes.
Mid-sales follow-up: Transparent progress tracking
During the production period of custom orders, regularly update clients on progress and send non-explicit production detail images. Before shipment, provide a “Packaging Confirmation Image” to confirm logistics details are correct before dispatch. During transit, offer “Tracking Number Updates,” notify clients of estimated delivery times, and inform them of “Unboxing Precautions.”.
After-sales maintenance: Problem resolution + Privacy protection
If a customer discovers a quality issue after receiving the product, the store must respond within 24 hours and support “free returns/exchanges” or “on-site repairs.”.Meanwhile, provide daily maintenance guidance, instructing customers on “cleaning methods,” “storage precautions,” and “material aging treatment.”;
五. Core Element Four: Compliance and Risk Control — Avoiding Legal and Ethical Risks
The silicone doll industry, involving “adult products” and “privacy needs,” easily crosses legal and ethical boundaries, requiring stores to establish stringent risk control mechanisms
Customer Qualification Review:
Clearly state that sales are restricted to adults, requiring customers to upload their ID online and undergo on-site ID verification offline. Reject any “violations of regulatory requirements” and terminate communication immediately upon detecting such requests, while retaining records.
Promoting Compliance:
Online promotions should avoid the use of “explicit images, videos,” and “lowbrow marketing language,” focusing instead on core content such as “craftsmanship education,” “material safety,” and “privacy services.” Offline stores are prohibited from displaying any physical products or explicit posters at entrances or storefronts. Samples may only be displayed in dedicated in-store experience areas, and they must be dressed to avoid exposure.
Data Privacy Protection:
Customer information is solely used for “age verification, shipping, and after-sales service.” Storage or disclosure to third parties is prohibited. Online stores must comply with the “Personal Information Protection Law.” Customers may request “deletion of personal information” after placing an order to mitigate the risk of data retention.
Summary: The Operational Logic of Silicone Doll Stores,the essence is “building a service chain centered around customers’ ‘privacy + customization’ needs within a compliance framework”—ensuring product safety and customization capabilities from the supply chain, balancing online privacy and offline experience on the sales side, and safeguarding customer privacy and rights throughout the service lifecycle, while mitigating legal and ethical risks through risk control mechanisms.
